Plan your week with wellness in mind, with these health and fitness-focused activities to try in the UAE.
Dress as Mr Claus for the Dubai Festival City Santa Run
UAE residents looking to add a little festive spirit to their fitness routines can sign up for the Dubai Festival City Santa Run. The fun run will take place on Friday, December 11 at 8am, and will cover the Promenade and Marsa Plaza.
People of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up, with two distances – 2.5 kilometres and 5km – available. While participants will receive a free Santa T-shirt, hat and beard, they can also get creative with their own Santa outfits to compete for the best dressed prizes. Tickets are priced at Dh125.
Registrations are open until midnight, on Wednesday, December 9, at raceme.ae/santa.
Bounty Beets launches biweekly yoga classes
The healthy restaurant and cafe at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina has launched a biweekly Namaste Breakfast yoga session to encourage UAE residents to start their day on the right note.
The classes will take place every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am to 10.15am, led by instructor and life coach Dalia Halabi on Wednesdays and yogi Melissa Tweedie on Saturdays. Guests can expect sessions that take them through a variety of poses and breathing techniques, all set in the lush Bounty Beets outdoor area.
After the session, participants can get a 25 per cent discount on a la carte breakfast menu, and a complimentary detox shot. Guests are required to bring their own yoga mats and water. A single yoga class is priced at Dh65, five classes go for Dh310, and a package of 10 classes is priced at Dh590.
More information can be found at bountybeets.com.
Sign up for an online dance session with Pointine
Online dance platform Pointine launched in the Middle East last month, bringing a number of dance lessons – from ballet to belly dance – straight to people’s screens. The website and app offers beginners and advanced masterclasses with a number of regional dance instructors through pre-recorded content.
Learn the art of salsa from Latin American and ballroom dancer Alexandra C Cojocari, ballet from classically trained dancer Tomomi Aramaki, and contemporary dance from Lana Fahmi, the principal dancer and choreographer at Sima Dance Company. Cham Al Malla, founder of Pointine says she launched the website so people could “have an outlet and de-stress through dancing during these unprecedented times. Dancing is not limited to any age group, one can learn at any stage."
The platform is currently offering a 30-day free trial, after which the fee is $19 per month for unlimited access to videos on all its dance styles.
Plan a wellness weekend with Retreatmi
After the excesses of the long weekend, those dreaming of a getaway with a focus on health and wellness can check out online healthy adventure hub Retreatmi. On the horizon is a wellness weekend with The Mountain Centre Ras Al Khaimah, which is offering one-night or two-night packages between Thursday and Saturday, December 10 and 12.
Visitors can partake in a number of wellness activities such as morning yoga, trekking and a fitness obstacle course, and staying in a villa-style tent with modern amenities – all set within natural surroundings, with plenty of fruit trees.
Simple and healthy meals will be prepared by an in-house chef. Packages start from Dh782 per person.
Sign up for a biking challenge in Ajman
Ajman Tourism Development Department has organised a series of community races in collaboration with Al Qudra Sports Management. Outdoor enthusiasts looking to challenge themselves can sign up for the Ajman Time Trial, which will take place at Al Zorah on Friday, December 4, from 7am.
Cyclists will race against the clock, with each participant starting individually, with a minute's gap in between. Participants can enjoy views of the greenery and wildlife found in the area as they complete 10km. Registration for the event is Dh105.
Meanwhile, the Amina Hospitals Half Marathon will take place on Friday, December 25, also at Al Zorah, with more details to be announced in the coming days. All community races will have precautions in place including temperature checks, mandatory masks and gloves, limited participants and social distancing measures.
Home-grown athleisure brand L’Couture launches new range
Female athleisure brand L’Couture has launched its new collection, Skin V2, featuring sportswear that is created with comfort and confidence in mind.
The range offers sports bras, biker shorts, leggings and jackets in four colour variations – black, khaki, black leopard and black camo. Made from polyester and spandex, both leggings and shorts are high-waisted, while the sports bras are made from a breathable material.
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
SPECS
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The%20specs
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The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
